How to Cook Everything

Mark Bittman

Wok-Cooked Chicken with Nuts and Fruits

Makes 4 servings

Time: 20 minutes

Charles Phan was born in Vietnam, but his parents came from China, and he's an all-time pro
stir-fryer. In this basic dish, he combines a number of semi-exotic ingredients but is quick to
point out that, as in all stir-fries, you can substitute freely.

This is fortunate, because you may have a hard time finding fresh gingko nuts, which are soft
and meaty; you should, however, be able to find dried Chinese dates (also called jujubes) in
most Asian markets. In any case, the idea here is to use a few different types of nuts and
dried fruit, so each bite tastes different. I wouldn?t hesitate to include raisins, "regular" dates,
or filberts (hazelnuts).

1. Heat a wok or large frying pan over very high heat until smoking.
Add half the oil and, a few seconds later, as much chicken as will fit in
one layer (you may have to cook the chicken in two batches). Cook, stirring
infrequently, until the meat loses its pinkness, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, drain out most of the oil, and
return the pan to the heat.

2. Add the garlic and stir once, then immediately add the stock, sake,
fish sauce, and sugar. Stir once or twice; if the mixture dries out (at this
or any other point) add a splash of water. Add the nuts and fruit and stir
for 30 seconds. Return the chicken to the pan, along with the scallions.
Taste, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed, and serve.